Reversible door latch



u 29, 1952 A. F. LICKTEIG, JR 2,605,126

REVERSIBLE DOOR LATCH Filed Sept. 9, 1948 ALBERT F. LlCKTEiG JR,

' INVENTOR.

Patented July 29, 1952 T UNITE-D QSTAT-ES PATENT.- FFICE;Q l o .Qlrzposas n-EvitasrstunooR- A'roH f Albert F. Lickteig Jr., Grand Rapids, I

: Application September 9, 1948, Serial No.l8,455

' lCl aim. (Cl. 29.2 244) This "invention provides an improvement in in the direction required by the particular instaldoor latch construction whereby conventional lation. I latch mechanisms may be adapted forthe factory The latch mechanism may also be installed in installation of the latch within the door. Such the factory without the front plate in position, factory installation has heretofore been imprac- 6 and the plate installed by the carpenter on the tical due to the necessity of manufacturing for job. In this latter case, it is highly desirable stocka large number of doors which are adapted that means be provided to prevent the ingress of to swing in one'dire'ction only. Conventional o eign at chips, 9 in e about .ilhe

v latches are adapted to lock from one. direction aperture occupied by t latch llleehsillisinv in only, and when once installed in a door require 10- the door. The present invention accordingly proalmost complete removal therefrom and reinvides'closure means for substantially preventing stallation in order to lock from the opposite direcsuch ingress while pre v t rotatability 0f tion. The present invention makes possible the the bolt aboutits axis and in'no way'interferin changing of the dire'ctionflof locking by merely With e act of th fs lppo st ei' ll n removing the front plate from the latch mochahe pref rr f rm c jn pl by this invennism and effecting a minor adjustment to the tion, the supporting .ineans for the boltand bolt, leaving thebalance of the latch mechani m closure meansare combined. as originally installed. It is obvious that there The feature of providing sliding support-for the is considerable advantage to be obtainedfrom bolt which is independent of the front plate is installing door latches at the factory,.since in valuable for several reasons. Without such'prothis manner it' is possible to obtain the savings vision, the bolt is left in a somewhat indeterwhich follow from mass production techniques. minate position as soon as the front plate is These advantages are especially important in view removed. This of course renders the reinsertion of the fact that the structural modifications of thefront platesomewhat troublesome, since which are necessary to adapt conventional latches it is necessary, first to locate the bolt within the to the use of this invention are relatively minor, aperture and then attach the front plate in posiand generally do not require extensive modification. It is also'obvious that unless the bolt is tion of the usual retracting mechanism and case. Well supported when the front plate has been The features which are outlined above are obve t atc mechanism s yv vlllnere tained by p oviding a support for the latch bolt n able to injury which might be caused by objects which positions it' substantially on the axis of striking the lt, p t ula y fr m a" at ral retraction, while leaving'the bolt free to rotate direetiOn- This uat w u d der it exabout that axis. .In addition to this'axial supemely ky to atte pt to install a latch mechaport, the angular positionof the bolt about such nism in the factory and p the same With the axis'is left to be determined by the manner in r n plate ved, as is. often 'done in ins-talwhich the bolt engages the" conventional front la i ns r quir a f t p at hav a p ul plate well known in latch construction. This fihishfront plate is conventionallyprovided with aboltv h tat s pp rt f the b lt as utlined receiving aperture, the usual practice being to above is accomplished preferably by providing the form both bolt and aperture in a square or rec- 40 bolt with a washer-shaped bearing member which tangular cross section. It is clear that once the is closely associated with the bolt structure. The bolt engages the aperture (with usually a relapassageway which is adapted to guide thefbolt tively close fit) that the angular position of the to a retractive position is formed to accommodate bolt about its axis would be definitely determined. the outer shape of this bearing member. With With this type of arrangement, the removal of 5 this arrangement; the position'of the bolt within the front" plate from the assembled latch mechathe passageway is generally determined by the nism leaves the boltfree to be rotated so that bearing member. If the passageway is other a locking surface of the bolt may be presented than circular in" cross section, the outer periphery to either one face or the other of the door, thus of the bearing member may be either "circular allowing the door to be hung in any location. and of such diameter as to be tangentto the sides Such a latch mechanism may be completely inof the passagew y, or ay be of sq e 01 ot e stalled in the door (including knobs and related such rectangular cross section as to fit within the structure, if desired) and theposition of the passageway. 'In'the latter casea circularcentral latch bolt changed after the door is hung in aperture'would be provided to receive alink conposition, if such bolt did not happen to be facing necting the bolt with the retracting mechanism;

An alternative system for supporting the bolt 7 for rotation about its axis comprises a circular passageway of such a diameter as to receive the usual bolt which is square in cross section, contact being effected at the four corners of the bolt. With this arrangement, the bolt is free to rotate about its axis as soon as the front plate is removed, its angular position being determined as soon as the bolt engages the aperture in the front plate and the said front plate is firmly attached in position. With this arrangement, as well as that indicated in the preceding paragraph, the supporting structure of the passageway tends to reinforce if not entirelysupplantv the supporting action of the front plate, so that the strain thereon is considerably relieyed- With.

this construction, it is well within the range of.

possibility to provide a front plate which normally has no part in furnishing the force which;

permits the bolt to lock the door, enough clearanceinthe aperture being provided-so thatthe forces generated by the passageway and asso-v ciated, structureare sufiicient for this. purpose. The only function of thefrontplateor itsequivalent. in. suchwan. installation is. to "determine ;the angulanposition of the bolt about itsaxis.

The various features of. this. invention. will, be described in ldetail'by an analysis ofparticular devices. and,componentswhich are illustrated in the.accompanyingdrawings. In these drawings: .Figure 'li1lustrates a plan view. section through a. latch mechanism. embodying the present invention.

.Figure,..2. illustrates. a. section. along the. plane 2..-2. indicated inTFig'ureJ 1. I .Figure S illustrates. .a .niodifie'd'form of this invention to that shown'in Figure '1. 1 Figure-4. illustrates. a section on. the plane 4-& of l li gure-3. l I

Referr-ing-to Eigures 1- andl 2, the latch mechanismlil isshowninstalled, in the bore-H with- .the door,-l2. Theknob or other actuating mechanism for the. latch- .i s not shown, but pro.- vision iis made, for the-installation thereof' by providing .the hole; l3 which intersects the. bore H Asuitable actuating-.barwhich isassociated with theknobor other handle is installedwithin the-circle lgato -.cooperate with the retracting mechanism-generally indicated: at. M. A re.-. ti -acting, mechanism .generally. similan to I that shown in l T igureil is-describedin detailin the application of .Albert. 15; L ickteig, Jr..,f.Seria1 Number 305755;, and filed on-June,-3,- 1943. 7 Since the details.of the retracting. mechanism form no pant ofthepresentinvention, this portion of the drawingwill: not-be: considered-at length.

The bolt I5 is provided with the locking-surfaceJB-and the slanted surface I'l. As the door is closed, thestriker plate." located -.on the. door jamb. contacts theslantedl surface I] which .then acts asa ramp. andcauseslthe bolt. tolbe. forced inwardly (to a retracted. position to permit. the doorto close. Whenthe'locking aperture of the striker plate;andthe-bolt are infalignment', the bolt 5 then returns to =the, position shown. under the urg ng of-tspring-JB. 1 lh econnection of 'the'bolt to thefretracting mechanism? I4 is e ffected'by lthef link [9 which is firm y; fixed-to the bolt at its. outer. end,- the-.in ner-end being. slidably retained by. a suitable aperture linlthe face of. the crosshead 20. The innerend ofvthe, link- 19 isequipped with an enlarged portion 21 which .prevents 'thejlink. l9 from Lbeing Iwithdrawm'from'the crossh'ead. In this particular. mechanism, the. enlarged portion 4 2! acts as a stop which limits the outward movement of the bolt under the urging of spring IS. The latch mechanism illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is provided with a case 22 which is substantially rectangular in cross section. The bearing member 23 is slidably retained within the case 22, and is provided with a central aperture 24 which receives the link 19. The engagement of the sides of the aperture 24 and the link 19 is such that rotation"of one member with respect to the'other is permitted; '-In'this manner it is possible for the bearing member to slide In a similar manner, the aperture in the cross- -head20 is preferably adapted to slidably retain the link 19 while permitting the same to rotate.

It is of course possible to provide a rotatable mounting of the-bolt l5v upon the link 19 and thus do. aWaywith the rotatable. engagement of. the apertureliitfand the crossheadf2fl with the-link t9. .In this latter case, it would only be necessary'to. provide for; sliding engagement inf the crossheadifllfanda' fixedlattachment of the bear ing member 23 the link. [9. Generally'sp'eak ing, however, it. isfmo'r'e practical to form the structure as indicated, due to.- the. complexities and "problems involved. in rctatably supporting the'boltfupon the link.

' The frontplate'. 26 is provided with; the aperture" 2.1T whichengages thebolt'. [5 insufcha manner that sliding of the bolti's'perinitted. The shape offithabolta'nd of. the aperture 'are'such that relative rotation'of. one to, the. other isnot possible when 1 once. the bolt has been. inserted therein. Theposition of the front plat'e "26 with respect to. the balance of 7 the latch mechanism is;securedlby-thelocating, recess formed by the flangesi28'. which. arerigidly connectedtothe balance' of the latch structure .by meansofv the rivets i29j.

' Referring to" Figures. 3 and 4, a-mo difiedform or this invention. islillustrated. in .whichthe bolt is"supportedwithout the use. of. a: bearing member similar to that indicated at 23 iiilnigiires l andYZ; Thejcase'3UJis1'cir-cular. in crosssection' as "best: indicated? in Figure. 4, andiof. such diameter as to permit the'passage of the -boltT3 I The bolt'is, thus'permitte'd to slide on its. corners as it moves "to. and "fromfa retractedfposition. The front plate '32 is p'rovidedwith, the aperture 33 which 'engages the bolt 3! in the same-man ner'as'is shown in Figure" 1. The frontplate 32 is securely supported"withrespect to the 'balafice ofthe latch mechanism by means of "the same construction. as is indicated in' Figure 1, fnaniely the flanges 34 which are securely 'fasterid'to the case'by means of the rivets 3.5.

Theproportions of .the aperture 33, if. desired, maybe" such that the entire'supportingjforce which maintains the bolt 1 31 in J position' 'agaiiist loo'kingi action may be contributed by unease-tn; orthe aperture may fit the bolt closelyso as; to bear fagainst the same and provide the major part or the locking 'actioh. "Ilrthe latter case, thejremoval o'f T the front plate 32' leaves the bolt to, besupported-by theaction' of the caseISflbearing; againstjthefcorners of 7 the bolt; "Itis. preferable that thesupportingaction of the case' 30 as indicated. be, such that the bolt be .mai-ntained c1ose;to thelpositionthat.itwould have when .the frontjfplate. is f attached, thereby minimizing the amount offadjustment necessary tofit the-bolt within the front plate before fastening the same to the balance of the structure.

The entire assembly which has been discussed above is secured in position in the door by means of wood screws, according to conventional practice, which serve to secure the front plate within the flanges 28 or 34, and to fasten the entire latch mechanism in its proper location within the door.

An added effect of the bearing member 23 in Figure 1 is the establishment of a closure to the bolt passageway when the front plate 26 is removed from position. The presence of this closure forms a barrier to the ingress of shavings, foreign material, and the like which might interfere with the operation of the latch mechanism. This feature permits the insertion of the latch within the door at the factory, and shipping the same without the front plate in position. This practice has an advantage when it is desired to provide a door with a special surface and a special front plate to match therewith. The closure effect can also be provided in the mechanism shown in Figure 3 by the simple addition of the washer 36 which has an inner aperture adapted to receive the link 3'1, and an outer diameter adapted to be slidably retained by the Walls of the case 30. Both bearing member 23 and washer 36 are preferably maintained in position by the action of the springs which bias the bolt in an outward direction. If desired, these members may be provided with elongated bearing portions to increase their stability.

The particular mechanisms which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described herein are for illustrative purposes only. 3

The definition of this invention and the scope thereof are to be obtained from the claim which is appended hereto.

I claim:

A latch mechanism comprising a casing having a tubular wall defining a passage, a bolt having a head retractable into said passage and a shank, said head having a latching surface and an opposed inclined surface, retracting means carried by said casing rotatably interconnected with said head whereby said head can be turned about its longitudinal axis, a bearing member located in said tubular member adjacent said head and containing a perforation receiving and substantially complementing said shank, said bearing member having a periphery substantially complementing and slidably engaging said tubular wall, and a plate detachably and replaceably secured to said casing having an opening substantially complementing a portion of said head and restraining said bolt against rotation, said bearing member substantially closing said passage against the introduction of foreign matter when said plate is detached.

ALBERT F. LICKTEIG, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date I 235963 Prouty Dec. 28, 1880' 346,349 Biggs July 27, 1886 997,490 Carson July 11, 1911 1,566,575 Best Dec. 22, 1925 

